Making the World a Better Place

How our Judaism inspires our civic involvement

Compiled by Sheri ArbitalJacoby

Though tzedakah has come to imply charitable giving, the word means righteousness or justice in Hebrew. This benevolent Jewish tradition involves contributing individual resources for the good of the entire community. Of the 613 commandments that Jews are obligated to observe, the mitzvah or good deed of tzedakah is considered one of the most important.

The Aleinu prayer recited toward the end of every Jewish worship service reiterates that a goal of the Jewish people is to “perfect the world under the sovereignty of God.” In Hebrew, the phrase “perfect the world” translates to tikkun olam, which means to fix or repair the world.

Congregants of Temple Beth-El give back in many ways. Throughout the temple’s storied history, its members have furthered advancements throughout Great Neck as well as the surrounding area. Their names grace the wings of local hospitals, and many facilitate change as board members of health, education and service organizations. Others make a difference by raising funds for charitable causes or collecting food for people in need. Meet these special congregants who are making the world a better place.

Restocking The Food Pantry

Faith Sterling, Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, Stockbridge Risk Management

Bob Sterling, cofounder and president, Stockbridge Risk Management; board chair, Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation

Along with our staff at Stockbridge Risk Management, we have made it an annual November event to collect and donate food to meet the needs of the St. Aloysius Interfaith Food Pantry in Great Neck.

Through our involvement with Temple Beth-El, we know how important the food pantry is. With the guidance of Bertha del Carpio, director of the St. Aloysius Outreach Program, we focus on donating items that meet the needs of those in our Great Neck community.

Everyone at Stockbridge Risk is happy and proud to participate in this cause. ▶

EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE Roger Tilles, member of the NYS Board of Regents representing Long Island

My mother and father were both very much involved in Temple Beth-El as a leader in the religious school and former president, respectively.

Growing up in Great Neck with them as role models, I became president of the Junior Temple Club here at Temple Beth-El. Under the leadership of Rabbi Jerome Davidson, my horizons were broadened by such things as the march in Washington to see Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In addition, I was able to meet and see him as he talked here in our temple in 1967. My passion for social justice continued into my professional life, which has involved public-policy making and activism throughout my life.

on Long Island when I became a regent almost 20 years ago.

Those governmental decisions were clearly responsible for Long Island having some of the most segregated schools in the country. For 20 years, the delicate balance of trying to maintain the excellence of so many of our schools had to be maintained with an emphasis on equity. Until we view all kids as “our kids,” we cannot say that our education system is working.

As a regent, I have been in more than 500 schools on Long Island, reading poems to elementary school students and seeing some of the most creative programs in the world. But I’ve also seen tremendously dysfunctional schools that lack the knowledge and resources necessary for the kids to get a basic education.

Our temple has been a creative force for social justice since the days of our beloved Rabbi Jacob Rudin. Starting when I was president, and throughout the past 25 years, I have been involved here with the Interfaith Martin Luther King Jr. Shabbat Service.

as well as my colleagues at the Board of Regents and in State Education Department leadership.

Seeing that the world was unfair helped me lead a life trying to repair some of the most blatant examples. As chair of the Long Island Regional Planning Board, I saw clearly how land use created pockets of poverty right here

I’ve had the pleasure of bringing to our temple speakers such as Hillary Clinton; Senator Chuck Schumer; Hakeem Jeffries; Congressman John Lewis; Khalid Muhammad; Reverend Calvin Butts, whose recent passing we mourn; Congressmen Gary Ackerman and Steve Israel; our state comptroller and Great Neck resident, Tom DiNapoli;

This service has become a meaningful community observation of Dr. King’s life. This year we were fortunate enough to have our New York State attorney general, Letitia James, give a riveting presentation that captured the spirit of Dr. King. Arm in arm, our congregants, with members of the greater community, felt the passion of working together to create a better world for all.

Such is the nature of the experiences that I started here at Temple Beth-El.